Delta Pilot gets 10 months in prison for coming to work under the influence

A Delta Air Lines pilot was sentenced Tuesday to 10 months in prison after pleading guilty this month to showing up for work with a half-empty bottle of Jägermeister in his luggage and a blood-alcohol level more than twice the airline limit, authorities said. said.

The pilot, Lawrence B. Russell Jr., 63, of Fulton County, Georgia, was scheduled to fly a Boeing 767 from Edinburgh International Airport to Kennedy International Airport in New York City on the morning of June 16. a statement of the judiciary of Scotland.

Mr Russell arrived at baggage control 80 minutes before departure in his pilot uniform and lanyard, but his bag was rejected by the X-ray scanner when it was found to contain liquid, the statement said. Inside were two bottles of the German digestif Jägermeister, one of which was opened and “just under half full”, Sheriff Alison Stirling, who sentenced Mr Russell, said at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Tuesday.

Mr Russell, who admitted he had been drinking the night before, failed a breath test and was arrested, Sheriff Stirling said. A blood test showed he had “not less than” 49 milligrams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood, she added. The limit for pilots is 20 milligrams, and the limit for motorists in Scotland is 50 milligrams or 0.05 percent. That limit in the United States is 0.08 percent. Mr. Russell was charged that day and, according to the affidavit, responded, “I’m terrified.”

Neither Mr. Russell nor his attorney could immediately be reached for comment Tuesday evening. Public records show he was charged with driving under the influence in 1985 but was released on parole. He was diagnosed with a severe alcohol use disorder but was in remission after successfully completing a recovery program in Georgia, Sheriff Stirling said.

Mr Russell, who has been married for 35 years and has two sons, lost his job after his arrest in June and received half his salary while on long-term disability, she added. Sheriff Sterling said Mr Russell intended to apply for a new medical certificate after serving his sentence, with the expectation that if granted he would be reinstated to his former role as a pilot. “Your employer has been very supportive,” she said.

Anthony Black, a spokesman for Delta Air Lines, said in an email that the company “was aware of this incident and removed the pilot from service while it conducted a thorough investigation in collaboration with Scottish authorities.” He would not provide further information about whether Delta was aware of Mr. Russell’s drunk driving record or say whether Delta would rehire him.

below federal lawpilots must wait up to a year after being convicted of a drug or alcohol crime before applying for a license or other certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration.

Sheriff Stirling said she had taken into account his remorse and the fact he had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity when determining the length of Mr Russell’s sentence. But she noted that “detention is the only appropriate response given the seriousness of your offense.”